"I am a cinematographer...oh, I am a cinematographer..."
"You know you're in trouble when someone says 'I'm going to be a
cinematographer,' to you at a party."--my friend Tony, circa 1990,
who now lives in Louisville, home of Palace songster Will Oldham, who
wrote the lyric above. What goes around comes back up, usually at a
bad time.
#############################
Indie List Digest!
August 26, 1994
Volume 3 Number 49
#############################
In this thrill-packed episode:
Sean's life as a temp, or theory in reality...
Guitar Wolf, Ah club, Inbreds, et al.
Stereolab, Providence, Lollapalooza, et al.
Morphine, Orangutang
Breeders, Halo Benders, Pitchblende, Telegraph, etc.
Ether?
Chill EB/dEUS/Fatima/Beaumont/Portishead reviews
Sunset Junction Street Festival
AD: FRANTZINE
AD:CAUGHT IN FLUX #3
AD: Squealer Music
And no Gigolo Aunts
I'm so happy...We have a submission that actually uses one of my
favorite phrases, 'and a melee ensued...' What's more, I actually
have something to SAY here! I am going to be visiting Minneapolis
briefly in mid-September, as my boss is taking me to a conference. I
think we'll be staying somewhere near the U. of Minn. campus. If any
of you can point out things worth doing,
music/book/culture/food-wise, within walking distance, I would be
much obliged. Send mail to me at azender@indiana.edu and I will tell
people you're swell, free of charge.--az
------------------------------
From: Sean Murphy <grumpy@access3.digex.net>
Life as a temp, or the horror of shopping at Go Discs...
So, I'm now living in the metro-DC area, home of the now-famous Go
Discs in Arlington (wow! an indie record store in Arlington! Now we
don't have to schlep across DC to go to Vinyl Ink!). Judging from
recent pickups there, I may be more than happy to "schlep across DC"
to find a record store dealing in more than pop music... but more
commentary after these scattered reviews:
Burning The Midnight Sun (v/a, Uniton Records - Norway)
Another psychotic early '80s comp - this one primarily synth and
instrumental, but evoking good things like Brian Eno, not shitty
things like ELO. I grabbed it because it was 99 cents and it had an
Eyeless in Gaza song ("To Ellen" - instrumental, unfortunately, but
quite good), but was very pleasantly surprised. Popol Vuh was the
only other band I had heard of, but all of side 2 is excellent
experimental synth work - side one has the vocal selections and
they're not bad either. The comp was intended as a sampler of things
on the Uniton label - I might just have to spring for a few of these
if they come up as cheaply as this... _Tim Story_ and _De Press_ are
other favorite bands on the comp. **
Seeds V - Electric (v/a, Cherry Red)
From the 1988/89 Cherry Red revival, one in a series of comps looking
at "great lost records from the period 1977 to 1984." Highlights on
the comp are Eyeless In Gaza's "Kodak Ghosts Run Amok" (the a-side to
their first single), Die Doraus und die Marinas' "Fred Vom Jupiter"
(wacky German pop-oddness), and the Gynaecologists' "The Red Pullover"
(starts out as a perfect companion to "The Gift" and a couple odd
Bauhaus songs, but unfortunately degenerates). MAJOR MINUS POINTS for
including the lone clunker on "Pillows and Prayers" (the famous 1982
Cherry Red comp), "XOYO" by The Passage. I'd like to try out some of
the other "Seeds" comps (subtitled: Rock, Pop, Art, and Punk), but
this one left me a little flat (Thomas Dolby is NOT an important
figure in "electric" music). **1/2, would have been * had they not
included XOYO.
Buzzcocks, "Are Everything" 12" (IRS)
Recorded near the original break-up, after "A Different Kind Of
Tension," and showing definite tension among the band members, this EP
is still a killer example of why this band is important (and it's NOT
because Green Day wants to be just like them and the Dickies crushed
in a blender). I prefer the Steve Diggle side, with the classics "Why
She's A Girl From The Chainstore" and "Airwaves Dream," but the Pete
Shelley side isn't far behind. Nothing here as fulfilling as "I
Believe" or "Everybody's Happy Nowadays" or "Why Can't I Touch It" but
a fine EP (and a rarity to boot). *3/4
Side notes: I recently remembered that the Buzzcocks had to have been
the horniest punk band out there. It didn't hit me after repeated
listens to "Singles Going Steady," but from one listen to "You Say You
Can't Help It" brought it all back to me...
For an interesting comparison piece, listen to Magazine's "Shot By
Both Sides" and Buzzcocks' "Lipstick" back to back someday - same
exact riff (both essentially written by Shelley, since Howard Devoto
started out in the Buzzcocks), but radically different treatments
lyrically...
Orange Juice, "In A Nutshell" (Polydor)
As the title implies, a sampler of Orange Juice's material recorded
for the Polydor label, including lots of the songs which had earlier
appeared on various collector-scum Postcard records. The recordings
are better produced than those on "The Heather's On Fire" (the more
recent Postcard LP compiling all the early OJ singles/flexis/etc.),
but the Postcard versions are more compelling in their rawness.
Still, any opportunity to hear "Felicity" is a good one. *1/2
Alles Ist Gut! (v/a, Farrago)
A compilation single that came out last summer from Houston, TX. The
big winner here is Buddha on the Moon, with a great song called "On
The Beach" which has NOTHING to do with Neil Young but tons to do with
Galaxie 500 and the burgeoning "slow-rock" movement. Quite enjoyable
sampler of things to come from this label (note that there is now a CD
from Dyn@mutt and a 7" from Buddha..., both on Farrago - P.O. Box
130148, Houston, TX 77219 - and if anyone knows where I can get in
touch with HK nowadays, drop me a line...). **
Tar - Teetering 7" (Touch & Go)
This came out last fall/winter, and it features a straightforward,
enjoyable Tar song on the a-side, with a really sludgy cover of "The
In Crowd" (made famous by Ramsey Lewis in the mid-60s) on the flip.
The sleeve is one continuous name-drop/thank-you list. (For those who
haven't heard Tar - think "Chicago Rock Band" and you'll be pretty
close...) *1/2, not as choice as -
Tar - Solution 8 7" (AmRep/Glitterhouse)
The A-side is again typical decent Tar material, but the b-side is the
true keeper - an insane, inspirational cover of Pere Ubu's
"Non-Alignment Pact" which is why I splurged and spent $6 to get this.
"Edie Brickell and Charo, Cher and Marilyn McCoo, Kristy McNichols and
Brooke Shields, it's all because of you..." Some may call it
desecration, I call it genius. **1/2
Please note that all of the above items (except the second Tar 7")
were purchased for $3.00 or less at Go Discs in Arlington, VA. This
same store had the audacity to put "Daisy Chain Reaction" by the
Poster Children in their 99 cent CD pile. For these reasons, I'm torn
- I like going to stores which are so dumb that they can't price
records properly, but at this level, it becomes extremely insulting to
the bands... Go! seems to have aspired to be the ultimate "indie-pop
record store" and I think they've succeeded - they have almost no
inkling of the worlds of music that I consider independent and worthy
of hearing - and I'm not expecting them to stock singles on the Bad
Vugum label from Finland or to have copies of the _TMI 015_
compilation (F-Models, Tripod Jimmie, lots of oddball Pittsburgh bands
from 1982) still shrinkwrapped (that's what Orpheus over in Georgetown
is for) , but the occasional Siltbreeze recording might be nice...
So yeah, temping in DC is a real blast. If I didn't already have some
exposure to socialist theory (like 4 years of college taking a slew of
political theory classes), it might just convince me to write a new
and improved "Communist Manifesto." I must confess that I feel quite
alienated from my labor (and we won't discuss the mark-up the temp
agency puts on my hourly rate... yikes!), while earning just enough
to pay my rent, get some food, and maybe look into a record store
occasionally.
One more review -
Ui - Two-sided EP (Hemiola)
First time I listened to this, I tried it at 33. Except for some
really low bass notes, I liked it. Then I got to the vocal song and
realized "oops, this is supposed to be 45" and promptly began
listening again. I told Wilbo (the bass player on this record) this
story, and he just nodded and thought it was funny but sorta cool.
Jazz-meets-funk-meets-the-avant and it's really not as horrifying as
that label implies - I like it very much. There's a slowish song with
strong dynamic shifts at one point (that's the one with noticable
vocals), and a lot of funky bass parts with odd noodling guitars
neatly placed in. Not for everyone, but for the more adventurous, I'd
recommend a good listen. *3/4
Thanks for bothering to read along...
Sean Murphy
occasionally friendly subscription slave
grumpy@access.digex.net
------------------------------
From: madnbut@vt.edu (Mad and Butch)
Guitar Wolf, Ah club, Inbreds, et al.
Lots of "little" reviews:
Guitar Wolf-WOLF ROCK LP (Goner Records, PO Box 40566, Memphis TN
38174-0566)
Completly over-the-friggin-top rockabilly, with a bizarre ambience to
the recording that causes the listener to assume that they're in some
sort of drugged haze. Guitar Wolf are a Japanese trio who straddle
the thin line between tribute and parody, and I don't think they even
know which side they're on. Brings to rockabilly the same sort of
inscrutable madness that the Boredoms bring to "noise" and is a whole
hell of a lot of fun to boot. I think this was put out by the same
people who put out the WIPE OUT zine (a very cool zine for those into
rockabilly, surf and other kinds of rnr that's true to its roots). If
you get the chance to see these guys live, GO GO GO!
The Ah Club-Squeeze My Cares Away cassette (Shrimper PO Box 1837
Upland, CA 91785-1837)
This is a Shrimper release from late last year, but it's so achingly
beautiful that I've got to mention it. The Ah Club are the duo of
Aubrey and Carol, and they use a unique musical approach in their
songs of "love". Most of the songs start with tape loops appropriated
from a variety of sources, mostly hip-hop records, and then overlaid
with guitar, vocals and a variety of other noises. The songs still
remain songs, however, with the most important factor being Carol's
vocals, which manage to sound pretty vulnerable and hurt through all
the musical bravado. There is an almost a voyeuristic sensation of
dominance/submission implied in the songs, as the vocals are innocent
and fragile, while seeming pained at the same time. It's striking,
the juxtaposition of her vocals over an imaginative soundscape.
Highly recommended.
The Inbreds-Hilario CD (PF Records Box 21003 Kingston, Ontario,
Canada K7L 1CO)
A subtle charmer from an interesting Canadian duo of bass and drums
(yep, that's it). It wasn't until the fifth time that I listened to
this that I realized it was only bass and drums backing the tuneful,
power-poppish tunes. This CD collects stuff from a bunch of different
7" singles, and sessions recorded in "real" studios and at home on 4
tracks (hard to tell the difference really). The Inbreds have great
vocal harmonies, and can write some excellent tunes in a K-ish kind of
way, though a little more straight ahead than that. The sound can be
kind of thin at times (mostly the drums, which could use a little
beefing up), though I give them points for their interesting
instrumental approach, and on some songs, it's really a plus. Still
developing, but worth seeking out.
Will Simmons/George Willard split 7" (Nut Music PO Box 5033 Herndon,
VA 22070)
Will has something on the Shrimper Abridged Perversions CD, and that
gives you a general idea where both of these guys are coming from.
Will is more bittersweet, with 4 short songs mostly featuring his
gently rocking electric guitar and Fender twin. George leans more
towards introspection, in an almost folky way, but both of them throw
in numerous musical loops to prevent this from just being "lo-fi" (a
rocking coda to Will's "Hey You", sounding like Pavement, and George's
mock hardcore "Glue Song"). It's obviously a labor of love, and it
comes across in spades, from the hand-done covers (rip offs of various
older singles and found photos) to the collaborative music found
within.
Friendly-Record 1 7" (no address, but email Mark Cornick for more
info)
Kind of like Poi Dog Pondering on codeine and inhalants. Lovely
little pop tunes mucked up with all sorts of interesting
instrumentation (burbling keyboards, melodica?). Mostly chirpy and
happy, the various approaches really make this interesting, and
"Mariana" plays on my mind radio most of the time. My copy came
wrapped in a sewn up dish towel. All singles should sound this
imaginative.
Ralph Wiley
madnbut@vt.edu
------------------------------
From: ST000414@BROWNVM.brown.edu "Aaron Schatz"
Stereolab, Providence, Lollapalooza, et al.
[ed. note: This got stuck on a widget in the I-L-Edit hopper for a
while, so some of the info is dated. But some, as you may see, is
not. -es]
Most of these random thoughts are only a couple of lines, but here
goes...
There've been some changes here on the Providence music scene. First
of all Jud Ehrbar apparently has left Scarce to work in a day job on
Long Island. I was pretty shocked - they're auditioning new drummers
before they play the Reading Festival and then record their first A&M
album. The Laurels also have a new drummer. Ethereal rockers Lovebox
have moved to the Netherlands. Boss Fuel and Lazy Eye both broke up.
Small Factory's Vernon Yard album is coming out soon.
The new Stereolab single, "Ping Pong," sounds very 1976, and I don't
mean punk 1976. The album is out Tuesday. The new Sugar single "Your
Favorite Thing" is great as usual. It has an intereting rhythmic
scheme where it adds a couple of measures into the usual chord
progression every couple of times around. The album "File Under Easy
Listening" is out September 13th.
I went to Lollapalooza. Many people with many piercings. Wierd.
Also too long. I found the Beastie Boys disappointing, but this may
have been because they played second to last and I was really tired.
When they start jamming and let DJ Hurricane rap, it sucks. Tribe
Called Quest rocked. I know most of you don't like them, but Smashing
Pumpkins put on an incredible show. L7 was stuck in traffic and only
played one song, which did not upset me. I don't understand why
everyone thinks the Boredoms are so wonderful - please explain this to
me. On the second stage, I like Palace Songs. I didn't really get
into Girls Against Boys. I'm very sorry Shudder to Think, the
Pharcyde, and Fu-Schnickens didn't play the Providence date.
I met one guy who paid his way in to Lollapalooza at the ticket window
with change - nickels, dimes, and quarters. No pennies though.
New Neil Young album August 16th, with Crazy Horse, called "Sleeps
with Angels" dedicated to (ugh) Kurt Cobain. Sometimes you just have
to close your eyes and blindly trust that Neil isn't gonna get too
goofy on you.
I like the new Magnapop single, produced by Bob Mould.
While I was in California I got 3 CDs for 5 bucks at a place called
Moby Disc in Westminster. Small 23 is a Velvet Crush/Gigolo Aunts
style band on alias records. I'd give their LP "True Zero Hook" a
good * 1/2. I got the third album by Canada's Pursuit of Happiness
- you might remember their song "I'm An Adult Now." I wonder why
nobody likes them - it's pretty solid, albeit commercial sounding,
rock with funny indie-loser style lyrics and cool female harmonies. I
also got Christmas - the band that became Combustible Edison. I can't
decide if I like it yet - it's really wierd.
That's it from here.
***********************************************************************
Aaron Schatz "The one problem with
academia
Zeta Delta Xi is that you can't grow
Brown University potatoes in it."
st000414@brownvm.brown.edu
(401) 521-2513 - Justin Blumenstiel
P.O. Box 3994, Providence, RI 02912
***********************************************************************
------------------------------
From: "Steve Baragona" <baragona@ariad.com>
Morphine, Orangutang
I saw Morphine downstairs at the Middle East in Cambridge, MA on
Thursday (8/18). Morphine's a really novel band: a three-piece
consisting of Mark Sandman on vocals and two-string slide bass, Dana
Coley on sax, and Billy Conway on drums. No guitars. They put on a
good, solid, rock show: good sound, good crowd-interaction, good
performance. Just an overall really great show. But somehow there
just wasn't anything to write about. It's not that I didn't like
it--I did, I loved it. I'd definitely recommend them highly. But
there isn't really anything more to say.
I wondered if it was a bad sign that I had nothing to say about
Morphine, but then I saw Mother Tongue opening for Orangutang at Local
186 on Friday night (8/19). Sometimes it's good just to put on a good
show that speaks for itself. Mother Tongue were so bad, on so many
different levels, that it really made me appreciate the Morphine show.
Mother Tongue is from LA, and I think that goes a long way toward
explaining them. Their performance was like a who's who in LA rock in
the last 5 years or so: I recognized moves and poses ripped off from
Flea, Perry Farrel, Weiland, and Les Claypool (not from LA, I know,
but you get the picture.). Terrible vocal cliches. They took
themselves way too seriously. And the songs themselves were just
really bad. At least the show was good for a laugh here and there:
the guitar player, in jumping around and off the stage, unplugged
himself several times. The bass player/singer accidentally smashed a
bottle against his bass while playing slide with it, and tried to be
subtle about checking his hand for blood. Except for the people they
had brought with them or paid to cheer, the crowd pretty much ignored
them. Towards the end of the set the bass player/singer yelled "Wake
up! Wake the fuck up!" and I was thinking "Stop sucking!" It always
bothers me when a band that's bombing thinks it's the crowd's fault.
It's their responsibility to get us interested. If we aren't, it's
because they've failed. And yelling at us isn't going to make us like
them any more.
Anyway, Orangutang came on and rocked. I hope Mother Tongue stuck
around for the show. They could really learn a few things. I'm not
usually a front-of-the-stage kind of guy, but my friend and I wandered
up there pretty much without realizing it and it was great. It was
the first time in a while I've been in danger of getting whacked in
the head with a guitar. The long-haired guitar player (don't know
names, sorry) was all over the place. The singer/guitar player gets
this look on his face sometimes when he sings, his eyes are wide open
and pointing off to the side, it makes him look like he's spotted
something out there that he's about to jump on any second. One
highlight for me was the point in one song where the melody had
decayed into chaos, one guitar played is dragging the claw end of a
hammer up and down the strings, and the other is on the floor playing
his flange pedal. Awesome stuff.
And they did Chucklebucket Act II. This time the theme music was
Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart," and the story was of a
man torn between two women: an angel and a devil. I really can't do
this justice in words. It's almost performance art, but that makes it
sound serious. It's totally a visual thing which you really must see,
and doesn't sound funny until you see it. The gist of it is, the
andgel and devil compete for the man's attention; the devil, however,
has the lease on his soul. The angel aids him as he tries to escape,
and a melee between the angel and the devil ensues. The man tries to
break up the fight, but finally gets sick of the whole thing, and in
the production's climax gives them both the finger and they whither to
the ground. Having seen Act One I knew what to expect so it didn't
reduce me to hysterics this time, but it was still very well-done and
very funny. Orangutang is playing this Saturday afternoon (8/27) at
the Hatch Shell, and Chucklebucket will be doing Act III. That'll be
a really weird show: it's outside and free, so plenty of people show
up who know nothing about what they do. I can't wait to see the looks
on their faces. If you're in the Boston area, DO NOT MISS THIS.
By the way, did anyone see the article in National Lampoon around
summer of '91 written by Bullet LaVolta's tour manager about their
experiences on the road? Pretty funny stuff.
Time's fun when you're having flies.
------------------------------
From: Mark Cornick <mcornick@hopper.itc.virginia.edu>
Breeders, Halo Benders, Pitchblende, Telegraph, etc.
The zine that refused to die! Indie-List's weird aunt Telegraph has
finally returned with a new issue, a new net presence, and a new
attitude. Telegraph 2 (Electric Boogaloo) features adventures in
amateur concert promotion, Sean Murphy's controversial "slack in
indie-rock" article, a total dis of Blast! and a record giveaway.
Plus, as always, more(1). Subscribers should already have it. If you
missed it, you've got a couple options:
* ftp://ftp.etext.org/pub/Zines/Telegraph/Telegraph-2.txt.gz
* http://hopper.itc.virginia.edu/~mcornick/tg/current
* mail: No automatic mail service yet, so I'll mail it to you.
Subscribe so you don't miss the next one! Contact Sean -
grumpy@access.digex.net - to subscribe.
Now that that's over with, a couple brief record review type things:
- The Halo Benders, new LP with a title I forgot (K): Calvin Johnson's
new side project. Sounds remarkably like Beat Happening, but you'd
probably guessed that. Actually, the BH attitude and spirit are here
but the musicianship is considerably better than most BH records.
Still an infectiously good time, so if your main turn-off from Beat
Happening was the amateurism, you should at least give this a listen.
(And old-school K fans will dig this too.) **
- Breeders, "Head To Toe" (4AD/Elektra): New 7" with two forgettable
a-sides, but check out the b-side: it's a cover of "The Freed Pig".
Fairly straight cover too - aside from the Dealy vocals, this sounds
nearly identical to Sebadoh's orginal. (Perhaps they're trying to
atone for that atrocious version of "Do You Love Me Now?" they did
with J.Mascis a couple records back...) Fans only. *
- Pitchblende, _Au Jus_ (Fistpuppet): Long-awaited second LP from DC's
sonic craft-brewers. As with the first one, there are about 12 actual
songs and 12 or 13 tracks of noise filler between them (on the copy
I've been playing on the radio, the track listing omitted all the
filler bits, so you're never quite sure which track you're playing...
creepy.) No huge surprises here - overall it sounds pretty much like
_Kill Atom Smasher_. (For the uninitiated, _Kill Atom Smasher_ sounds
vaguely like a hybrid of Sonic Youth, Nation Of Ulysses, and
ephedrine.) Those who appreciate the sculpting qualities of the
effected guitar are advised to seek this out. If not, this record
might annoy you - it's quite noisy. I say thumbs up. **
bye now
--mark
(I'm awestruck that TG is now sharing an archive with Screams Of Abel.
Wow, I remember killfiling SOA years ago when I actually used to read
alt.music.alternative... glad to see they're still spreading that
Christian death-metal gospel...)
--
Mark Cornick - mcornick@hopper.itc.virginia.edu
http://hopper.itc.virginia.edu/~mcornick/
I speak for myself only. Good thing, too.
"I hate quotations." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
------------------------------
From: "Curt Tsui" <CTSUI@acs.unt.edu>
Ether?
I would like to know if anyone on this list could give me any info
about a band called Ether. I really know next to nothing about this
group, and the only song I've heard of theirs is the cut on _Music
>From the Films of Hal Hartley_ (entitled, I believe, "Rue Des Jours"
or something along those lines). I don't think (but I may be wrong
here) that it's the Ether that includes Caroline Crawley and members
of the Cure....
So would anyone who might possible know of an address at which I can
contact them, or who might know of a discography of theirs please
send it? I would be most appreciative.
From the fertile mind of Curt Tsui....who probably hates you!
CTSUI@acs.unt.edu
"Supreme nothing....oh yeah!"
------------------------------
From: James Nash <ccx020@cck.coventry.ac.uk>
Chill EB/dEUS/Fatima/Beaumont/Portishead reviews
These reviews arraigned in alphabetical order - I think.
Chill E.B. - Born Suspicious (Alternative Tentacles)
A mini-album from the politically-motivated Californian rapper. '70s
funk and some way groovy beats provide the backdrop for Chill's
justifiably paranoid commentary on the racism, bigotry and censorship
the black community is still suffering. There are a couple of duffers
here where he lets his ego get the better of him, "Welcome to Chill
Town" is a yawn, but "Born Suspicious" and "Menace to Society" repay
your faith as Chill gets inside the gangsta mentality and portrays it
as a valid response to shit happening. Most importantly, he never
glorifies it, though he does seem to revel in it a little. All this
over some top notch hip-hop, as good as Gang Starr at times. *
(minus a half for the thanks list which takes longer to read than it
does to listen to the bloody record!)
dEUS - SUdS & SOdA EP (Island)
They're from Belgium, they're on Island and they've been listening to
just enough indie rock to try and produce something fresh out of the
multitudinous strands we varyingly love. Scything violins bump-start
the tub-thumper of a title trick which is the kind of glorious racket
Billy Corgan would give his right arm for. Along the way, it finds
time for some Doors-style keyboards, AC/DC power chords and megaphoned
vocals. (Look, I know it's not strictly relevant but isn't it bizarre
that Brix (Smith) has re-joined The Fall? especially after being
mentioned as a Hole fill-in? and it was reported that Mark E. (Smith)
has told support band singers to dye their hair because they remind
him "of his ex-wife" Brix! ) Anywise... two shorties - one
Sugarcubes-y, the other a metal take on Man or Astroman?, - and
"Secret Hell" complete the EP. The latter is quite wonderful; a soft
lament that barely bothers to take off after threatening you with the
prospect of a heavenly and loud chorus. It sounds like Seam and
Pavement rehearsing together. All that's missing is a bout of
coughing in the bridge.
dEUS (note the capitalisation, folks) are on the same focused trip as
Elevate and might even be better than them. Album out soon so we
shall see. We certainly will if Island have anything to do with it.
**
The Fatima Mansions - The Loyaliser EP (Radioactive)
Cathal Coughlan is back and still as mad as hell as ever. "The
Loyaliser" doesn't hang around, Cathal's distinctive melodic tone
turning into Mr. Angry for the chorus and being chased along by
crazed guitar. "Gary Numan's Porsche" reminds you how good
Microdisney were whilst hiding its breakbeats under a dollop of
grunge. Unfortunately it all collapses into the predictable mess
during "Arnie's Five". Never mind, there's an excellent Juno Reactor
remix of the lead track to round the CD off nicely and round the score
up neatly. *
Beaumont Hannont - Texturology LPx2 (GPR)
Good if not always gripping ambient techno. Most of this genre passes
me by as either boring or over-hyped trash; it's great if you want to
sit around wasted all day, just be prepared for the let-down when you
hear it straight. So it would be a shame to miss out on the Nordic
Mr. Hannont. He applies a rare quality control to EACH track which
makes the whole record, and I use this word sparingly, haunting. I
could call this 'gothic techno', as parts remind me of Dead Can Dance
or Japan (take away the drum and "Shades of Haze" could have come from
"Oil On Canvas"), but I'm not a cruel man by nature. A word of
warning... this LP may be available in different versions. I'm
reviewing the double vinyl one. *1/2
Portishead - Sour Times EP (Go! Beat)
Take a slow funky beat, add a sly sense of melody and dub, some
Tindersticks-style instrumentation and a soulful singer on top and you
would expect a load of old rubbish. Right? Wrong. OK, they're on Go!
records (remember The Housemartins!!) but they just happen to be
making some of the most affecting and, I claim, innovative music
around. In fact, I'm off now to buy the album. I think you should
follow. **1/2
--James Nash <ccx020@cov.ac.uk>
Why procrastinate today? Do it tommorrow.
------------------------------
From: David Gershwin <gershwin@hollywood.cinenet.net>
Sunset Junction Street Festival 8/20/94, L.A.'s Silver Lake District
-- Lifter, The Leaving Trains, The Blasters
The Silver Lake District of Los Angeles, nestled between Hollywood and
downtown, is one of L.A.'s most ecelectic neighborhoods, and the
annual Sunset Junction Street Festival is one of its crowning
achievements -- with admission at $1. Leather boys, gay/lesbian
couples, hipsters, families, transvestites with names like Shawn
DeLier, punkers, and everyone else in between have the opportunity to
walk eight blocks of Sunset Blvd. closed to traffic and eat great
food (like Jamaican Jerk Chicken) visit a wide variety information
booths (Communist Party USA, Act-Up LA) and hear great music, all in
an atmosphere that is amazingly friendly. I even asked a couple of
the L.A.P.D.'s finest if I could borrow a pen -- and by golly, they
each held out writing instruments for me to choose from. Echo Park
tough-kids fired up big fatties mere inches away from grinning
festival security guards . . .
Two stages running all day Saturday and Sunday gave one plenty of
music to feast upon. I started off with current L.A. club-scene
princes Lifter, a power trio who has a knack for great riffs that
sound hauntingly familiar -- sort of like when you heard the Pixies
for the first time. The lead singer's raspy, emotion-laden vocals
started reminding me of the late, great you-know-who.
L.A. vets The Leaving Trains, with lead singer/SST Superstore
employee Falling James in drag, won my "best shitty bar band in the
world" award for the festival -- and had me banging my head for the
first time in months. "sick-n-tired" list has been covering them
lately more than Hard Copy covers O.J.'s legal problems. And that's
fine by me.
Finally, rockabilly/cowpunk/roots pioneers the Blasters (with alumni
ranging from Steve Berlin of Los Lobos to Phil's brother Dave, ex-X
and now solo artist who gets covered by Marshall Crenshaw on Conan
O'Brien's show) closed out the evening on Saturday with a
beer-drenched, Phil Alvin teeth-clenched set that was every bit as
good as early-80's Slash-era Blasters -- with a newer, younger line-up
(the only original band member besides Phil was John Bazz on bass).
The festival crowd was most receptive as Sunset Blvd. became a de
facto rockabilly dance floor -- see, we can all get along.
--David Gershwin
------------------------------
From: "Cindy Frantz <74473.2773@compuserve.com>"
<74473.2773@compuserve.com>
AD: FRANTZINE
In all its splendor and glory, Frantzine issue #4 is now out. This
issue contains interviews with TFUL282, Crayon, Pavement's Stephen
Malkmus, Sebadoh's newest wunderkid Bob Fay, Palace Brother's
Salt-n-Pepa lovin' Will Oldham, Soul-Junk, and the one-and-only from
the Inland Empire DiskothiQ tour diary. This gem is available for
$3ppd and can be had by writing:
FRANTZINE
HCR1 Box 185K
Leeds, NY 12451
------------------------------
From: Sean Murphy <grumpy@access.digex.net>
AD:CAUGHT IN FLUX #3
As a frequent contributor to the zine, I'm posting this ad for
Mike...
Grumpy Sean
------
OUT SEPTEMBER 1: _Caught In Flux_ #3. Subtitled "How I Discovered
Music," it's a collection of stories and interviews exploring the
roots of music fandom. Among the 30-plus participants are the
Raincoats, Barbara Manning, Stuart Moxham, Lois Maffeo, David Nichols,
Mark Eitzel, Jenny & Kristin from Tsunami/Simple Machines, Stephin &
Claudia of Magnetic Fields, and various editors, writers, musicians
and anonymous fans. $2.50 postpaid in the U.S., $3.50 elsewhere.
Checks/money orders payable to Mike Appelstein. Write to P.O. Box
7088, New York, N.Y. 10116-7088. (Sorry, no e-mail address: I have
e-mail through work and don't want my employer to catch on...) Back
issues of CIF and _Writers Block_ available as well. over and out.
------------------------------
From: madnbut@vt.edu (Mad and Butch)
AD: Squealer Music
Squealer Music has 7" singles from Geezer Lake, Bicycle
Face, Milk Badger, Joe the Fireman and Baby Igor, with great new stuff
on the way from Chapel Hill NC's June, Refrigerator (hopefully), Rake,
the Mind Sirens and others. Write for a catalog: PO Box 229
Blacksburg, VA 24063-0229, or email at madnbut@vt.edu
madelyn
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